


Dark Line

by Browneyesparker



Series: Dark Line [1]
Category: Perception (TV)
Genre: Angst, F/M, Hurt/Comfort, Romance, Songfic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-08-23
Updated: 2013-09-05
Packaged: 2017-12-24 10:30:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 2
Words: 1,786
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/938918
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Browneyesparker/pseuds/Browneyesparker
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Connecting one-shots about Daniel & Kate's relationship, and how they finally get together.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Daniel knew exactly how this one ended. When everything was said and done, the mentally healthy, stronger man would get the girl. They always did in all the books and the romantic comedies. He didn't stand a chance with men like Donnie in the picture. He could Kate everything that she would ever want or need. There wouldn’t be any fear of mental breakdowns with him, or people she couldn’t see lurking in the shadows. There wouldn’t be daily prescriptions reminders or day dreams that got out of hand. He was steady, stable and well-adjusted.

True, it wasn’t easy to forget the fact that Donnie had cheated on Kate with her best friend. But Daniel was sure that she would eventually forgive her ex-husband that and he would be back in her good graces in no time flat.

And he would go back to just consulting on her cases, to being nothing more than her friend. He’d banish the occasional dreams about a future with her and go on living in his semi-lonely existence with only Natalie and Lewicki for company.

Eventually, Lewicki would leave too and Daniel would try to find somebody to fill the void his assistant left. But things wouldn’t be the same and in the end, Natalie would be his only companion. Kate would try to save him again, he was certain of it. But by then, she’d be so wrapped up in Donnie and their three kids, it would be too late. He’d be too far gone for her to do anything about it.

 _It doesn’t have to turn out like that you know_ , Natalie’s voice whispered in his ear, you _do have the power to change your future. Stop being such a downer, Daniel. Besides, do you_ really _want to see Kate with Donnie again? You and I both know that he isn’t any good for her—_

Daniel shook his head and tried to block Natalie’s voice from his mind. She was always there, trying to tell him that things could be different, trying to build up false hopes about things that could never happen because of his diagnose. Regardless of Donnie’s prior transgressions, Kate going back to him _would_ be what was best for her in the long run.

He just had to try and make himself believe that it was really true. He needed to make himself believe that pushing her away a little bit would benefit her in the end. Even though the truth was that in the most secret corners of his heart and mind, he wished that they could try and be something more than they actually were. He _wanted_ to be something more than they actually were.

But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get past his fears to tell her what he was thinking and feeling. He didn’t know _how_ to get past his fears and talk to her. Even Natalie couldn’t help him get over his fears and just talk to Kate. . . no matter how hard she tried or what kind of advice she gave to him.

He still always said the wrong thing. And even when he said the right thing, he usually said it in the _wrong_ way.

Daniel shook his head again then put his headphones in and cranked the volume up on his Walkman. He hoped that a little bit of _Mahler_ would be able to drown out his thoughts and give him a chance to regroup before his next class.

He closed his eyes and let the music wash over him.

And for a moment, he allowed himself to wish that things could be just like they were in the movies even though it was probably one of the most impractical things in the world that he could do for himself.

**_The End_**

Daniel knew exactly how this one ended. When everything was said and done, the mentally healthy, stronger man would get the girl. They always did in all the books and the romantic comedies. He didn't stand a chance with men like Donnie in the picture. He could Kate everything that she would ever want or need. There wouldn’t be any fear of mental breakdowns with him, or people she couldn’t see lurking in the shadows. There wouldn’t be daily prescriptions reminders or day dreams that got out of hand. He was steady, stable and well-adjusted.

True, it wasn’t easy to forget the fact that Donnie had cheated on Kate with her best friend. But Daniel was sure that she would eventually forgive her ex-husband that and he would be back in her good graces in no time flat.

And he would go back to just consulting on her cases, to being nothing more than her friend. He’d banish the occasional dreams about a future with her and go on living in his semi-lonely existence with only Natalie and Lewicki for company.

Eventually, Lewicki would leave too and Daniel would try to find somebody to fill the void his assistant left. But things wouldn’t be the same and in the end, Natalie would be his only companion. Kate would try to save him again, he was certain of it. But by then, she’d be so wrapped up in Donnie and their three kids, it would be too late. He’d be too far gone for her to do anything about it.

 _It doesn’t have to turn out like that you know_ , Natalie’s voice whispered in his ear, you _do have the power to change your future. Stop being such a downer, Daniel. Besides, do you_ really _want to see Kate with Donnie again? You and I both know that he isn’t any good for her—_

Daniel shook his head and tried to block Natalie’s voice from his mind. She was always there, trying to tell him that things could be different, trying to build up false hopes about things that could never happen because of his diagnose. Regardless of Donnie’s prior transgressions, Kate going back to him _would_ be what was best for her in the long run.

He just had to try and make himself believe that it was really true. He needed to make himself believe that pushing her away a little bit would benefit her in the end. Even though the truth was that in the most secret corners of his heart and mind, he wished that they could try and be something more than they actually were. He _wanted_ to be something more than they actually were.

But no matter how hard he tried, he couldn’t get past his fears to tell her what he was thinking and feeling. He didn’t know _how_ to get past his fears and talk to her. Even Natalie couldn’t help him get over his fears and just talk to Kate. . . no matter how hard she tried or what kind of advice she gave to him.

He still always said the wrong thing. And even when he said the right thing, he usually said it in the _wrong_ way.

Daniel shook his head again then put his headphones in and cranked the volume up on his Walkman. He hoped that a little bit of _Mahler_ would be able to drown out his thoughts and give him a chance to regroup before his next class.

He closed his eyes and let the music wash over him.

And for a moment, he allowed himself to wish that things could be just like they were in the movies even though it was probably one of the most impractical things in the world that he could do for himself.

**_The End_**

 


	2. Introduction 2.0

Kate knew that she should be falling in head-over-heels in love with Donnie again. He was everything she should want, stable, age-appropriate, and emotionally available. But no matter how she tried to give her heart over to the young lawyer attorney. She had already regifted the broken, mangled thing to somebody else. No matter what she did, no matter how hard she tried she just couldn’t get it back again.

And the truth was she didn’t really want to get it back.

She was hoping that one day they would be able to have the sort of endings only seen in Hallmark movies. She hoped that they could live _happily ever after_ and proverbial ride off into the sunset together, an imperfect Prince Charming and his rough-and-tumble princess.

 She hoped.

But she wasn’t so sure.

Kate was almost certain of how this one really ended. Eventually she would choose the stronger man, the healthier man and she would sort of move on. Maybe she would have a few kids and try to find a semblance of a different kind of happily ever after.

It wasn’t exactly what she wanted, but she would settle for it.

And maybe one day, she would be able to see Daniel as just a friend and nothing else. Maybe one day, her heart wouldn’t cling to something she couldn’t have, to somebody who didn’t want her. Maybe it wouldn’t be so impossible to really fall in love a third time.

Or maybe she would finally be the fearless girl that she knew she was and say everything that was on her mind and in her heart. Maybe she would be able to fess up, face the truth, and tell Daniel that Donnie had been right.

She had a thing for him.

Kate sighed as she put her headphones in and pressed play on her iPod, an upbeat sing filled her ears and she started her daily run. She needed to think and she always did some of her best thinking when her Nikes were laced up, and she was pounding the pavement with her feet.

But running only proved to make things more complicated, with every mile she ran the clearer she could see Daniel’s face mind. Every time her feet hit the ground, she could prominently hear his voice inside her head. And to make matters worse, she still didn’t know how to handle her feelings for him. She still didn’t know if she should hang on and see what happened, or let him go and try to fall in love with Donnie.

It was days like these that Kate wished Magic 8 balls worked, that psychics knew what they were talking about, and that there wasn’t any fault with the stars. She needed answers, needed to know how this one really ended instead of just trying to guess at it.

The confusion, the hope for something more was beginning to drive her _completely_ crazy.

She slipped into the shower and prayed to a God she wasn’t sure existed for some sort of answer to her dilemma and then, she waited.

**_End_**

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another flashfic, I know, but it was the best I could do. The only idea I had was for the last story in this series, and I don’t want to post it first. Besides, the finale of Perception really killed me for many reasons. I haven’t had any inspiration to write stories for “Dark Line” at all. Maybe if I give it a couple weeks, inspiration will strike again. 
> 
> Hope to see you soon.
> 
> Holly, 9/5/2013_


End file.
